INSTRESS

In his literary essay titled, "Valley Beth Shalom: The Mecca of Jewish Tradition". Aaron Eberhardt finds himself at the steps of what is alien territory for him; the use of ethos and pathos. In the essay, he observes the Valley Beth Shalom Synagogue's use of ethos and pathos and how if utilized well, can provide a genuinely authentic atmosphere that allows its members to benefit from the practice of Judaism to its utmost level.

"When We Dream" was a moving and heart-inspiring play about undocumented youth incarcerated in the United States. Pasadena City College students read poems from unknown children and showed deep connection to the work and the words of the youth. The production was successful in giving these incarcerated immigrants a voice. The nation is facing many tough situations and this play was able to show citizens the many portraits of immigrants in our nation who still have a dream. ​​​

Stavroula Zygouri who is a mixed media artist and I talked in the Harris Art Gallery in 2019 surrounded by her artwork. I asked her how she would describe her personality because her work was so thought-provoking. She said,“Adventurous. I love adventures. When I was young, I was chased by killer dogs with my friend and I was like 'Let's get chased by these dogs!' I love dogs. I have a dog.” She also described herself as someone who is “hopeful, kind, brave, but also sometimes competitive. But only when I have to be.”

Once a year, people around the world in many countries celebrate Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day is rooted in different traditions and cultures. On this day, to honor the motherhood and appreciate the love and labor of mothers, families would celebrate to thank and commemorate mothers––includes grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and stepmothers.

Festivals of honoring mothers have been held long in human history, just like mother's existence. People worship goddesses bearing the symbol of mother. For example, in the sixteenth century in England, there was the festival called "Mothering Sunday." On this day, children working would get one day off and go back to their families. The oldest child would prepare a "mothering cake" to celebrate their mother. Mother would be free from any household duties and enjoy gifts and dinner prepared by families on this day. Up to nowadays, most countries set the second Sunday of May as Mother's Day.

On Mother’s Day, children could give a bundle of beautiful flowers, a hug, a gift a card or a meal. In fact, when you were a kid, you probably remember making Mother's Day gifts in preschool or kindergarten or first grade, and in middle school years you might remember writing poems for your mother. This is a time honored tradition. The poets.org site offers some history and an overview of several time-honored poems that celebrate moms. Silvia Plath's "Morning Song" is a beautiful poem celebrating moms, and there are many more.

While in this social distancing and shelter-in-place time, we may not be able to visit our moms face to face, but still, we can celebrate with a Mother's Day card and mailable Mother's Day gift of a poem to offer sincere appreciation of them with our hearts.

​Give it a try! The Write Shop has several writing prompts you can try -- maybe share them here in celebration of your mom through the month of May!​

Written By:Shula-Aixian Yuan

Inscape Magazine, formerly Pipes of Pan, is archived in the Pasadena City College library, and is also shelved in the stacks. Any student or community member can stop by when the library is open to review back issues beginning from the 1940s. The 1967 issue has a beautiful blue cover with black ink letters and sketches on it. Gently flipping to the first page, readers will see a little silhouette holding a pipe. This little one seems to be shouting out his thoughts through the pipes. ​

IMPORTANT NOTE:PCC Inscape Magazine, housed at Pasadena City College, is following Coronavirus protocols. At this time our staff continues to read submissions and publish web content. Our Spring 2020 issue is at the printer! Our Fall 2020 issue is coming soon!

Note:

Blog Posts reflect the opinions of the writer and not the opinions of Pasadena City College or Inscape Magazine Editorial Staff Members.Guest Bloggers are invited to submit blog posts of up to 1000 words or pitch a blog series to pccinscape@gmail.com